Depth-equalizing shovel-beam attachment for cultivators.



n. L. SPENCER.

DEPTH EQUALIZING SHOVEL BEAM ATTACHMENT FOR CULTIVATORS.

APPLICATION FILED JULY I7 1916.

1,204,603. 'L PatentedN0v.14,1916.

2 SHEETS-SHEET l.

R. L. SPENCER.

DEPTH EQUALIZING SHOVEL BEAM ATTACHMENT FOR CULTIVATORS.

' APPLICATION FILED JULY 17. 191e.

l ,204,693.r L Patented Nov. A14, 1916.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

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RAY L. SPENCER, 0E PEoPLEs TOWNSHIP, BooNE COUNTY, IOWA..

DEPTH-EQUALIZING SHOVEL-BEAM ATTACHMENT Eon cuifiTivAToRs.l

Specification of Letters Patent.v vI )gljgeni-g,d Nov. 14, 1916 Application filed July 17, 1916. Serial No. 109,672.

To all 'whom 'it may concern Be it known that 1, RAY L. SPENCER, a citizen of the United States of America, and resident of Peoples township, Boone county, Iowa, have invented a new and useful Depth- Equalizing Shovel-Beam Attachment -for Cultivators, of which the following is a speciiication.

The object of this invention is to provide means for maintaining the shovel beams of a? cultivator in horizontal position during verf tical movement of the shovels.

A further object of this invention is -tov lvator sho-wing my improvement. Fig. 2 is a longitudinal section of the same.

1n the construction of the device as shown*v the numeral 10 designates generally the frame of a ,cultivator of any fdesired and suitable construction, said frame being supported by wheels 11, 12 pivoted on a dro-p axlel, and provided with a drivers seat 14 and `draft tongue 15. Shovel beams 16 are provided and are laterally spaced and extend longitudinally of and beneath the frame 10, 'and each carries longitudinally spaced cultivating devices such as shovels 17. Each beam 16 is horizontal throughout a greater portion of its length when in normal cultivating position, and is formed at its forward ,end with an upturned post 16a which in normal cultivator construction is pivoted at its upper end to a forward crossbar 10a of the frame. In the present construction the shovel beams 1,6 are foreshortened and the upright posts 16u are rearward of the vertical plane of the forward crossbar 10a. U-sha-ped hangers 18 are provided andare pivoted at their forward upper ends or at the tops of their forward arms, by bolts 19, to the forward frame member 10a, at theplaceof the normal pivoting of the shovel beams. The Ueshaped hangers 18 extend rearwardly and have rearwardly extending arms or lugs 20 formed on their upper rear ends, in the same horizontal plane as the pivots 19, and the upper ends of the posts 16UL are pivoted bv bolts 21 to the rear ends ofsaid arms. Thus the shovel beams are pivotally connected in the saine horizontal plane but to the rear o-f their normal pivoting, and the provision of the rearwardly extending arms or lugs 20 permits a tilting ofthe hangers 18 without interfering with or striking the posts 16a, and permits saidv posts to maintain their upright position.

The usual upright suspension rods 22 are employed and are pivotally connected ina common manner at their'lower ends to and intermediate of the ends ofthe shovel beams 16, andextend above the frame 10. upper ends o-f the suspension rods 22 are pivotally connected by forwardly and downwardly extending links 23 to the frame 10 adjacent the axle 13. Hand holds 24 are provided onV the suspension rods 22, and stirrups 25 on-the beams 16, for manually 4moving said shovel beams laterally and vertically in a common manner.

The 'rear Amembers of the U-shaped hangers 18 are extended above the plane ofthe pivots 19, 21, and links 26 are pivotally connected at their forward vends thereto by bolts 27; said links extending rearwardly and somewhat downwardly and being connected at their rear ends pivotallyto the The suspensionrods 22. The links 27 preferably l l are adjustable as to length, being formed in two pieces which overlap and are connected by 4bolts 28.

Straps 29 connect and brace upperv parts'of the two members o-r arms of each U-shaped 'l portions of the hangers, and said lowermostv straps are extended rearwardly ofthe rear members -of the hangers, to form spaced guides 31 on opposite sides of and in sliding relationy to the posts 16a, and tending to keep said posts in the same vertical plane as the hangers.

In practical use a. lifting motion appli'edj to the suspension rods 22 throughthevhand holds 24 is communicated to lift the central portions of thebeams 16, in a common manner. At the same time the upper endsy of the suspension rods 22 are moved forwardly by articulation of the links 23. This upward and forward movement of the suspension rods 22 is communicated as a pushing motion, forwardly and upwardly, on the links 26, which causes a tilting of the hangers 18 on the pivots 19. Such movement of the hangers 18 causes an upward, as well as a forward, movement of the arms or lugs 20, and a consequent forward and upward movement of the posts 16a and forward ends of the shovel beams. This movement of the forward end of the shovel beams is equal to the movement of the intermediate and rear portions of said beams, so that said beams are maintained in horizontal plane regardless of the vertical movement thereof. A similar result is achieved in respect of downward movement of the shovel beams at their central or rear portions, through force applied to them by the hand holds 24; or stirrups 25, or from any other cause, such movement being communicated through the suspension rods 22, links 26, hangers 18 and lugs 20 to the posts 16L and forward ends of the shovel beams. As the shovel beams are thus maintained at all times in horizontal planes, regardless of their vertical movement, it follows that the bottoms are always in the same plane, or at least their vertical movement is always in the same ratio, and the desired relative penetration into the soil is maintained. This result was not possible in the construction wherein the forward ends of the shovel beams were pivoted directly to the frame, and draft was applied to the rear ends to swing them through arcs on such pivots.

The pivotal connection of the suspension rods 22 and hanger 18 to the frame, and their further pivotal connection to one another through the link 26, causes said members 22 and 18 to maintain parallel relations at all times, so that their action on spaced points of the beam 16 is equal and in the same direction.

I claim as my invention:

1. A depth-equalizing shovel-beam attachment for cultivators, comprising a U-shaped hanger pivoted by one arm to the cultivator frame, a shovel beam pivoted at its forward end to the other arm of said hanger, a suspension rod pivoted to said beam at the rear of said hanger, a rock lever pivotally connecting the upper end of saidy suspension rod to the cultivator frame, and a link piyotally connecting the lower portion of said suspension rod to said hanger.

2. A depth-equalizing shovel-beam attachment for cultivators, comprising a U- shaped hanger having one arm pivoted to the cultivator frame, a shovel beam pivoted at its forward end to the other arm of said hanger, a suspension rod pivoted at its ing adjustable as to length.

3. A depth-equalizing shovel-beam attachment for cultivators, comprising a hanger pivoted at its forward side to the cultivator frame, a shovel beam having an upturned forward end pivotally connected to and at the rear of the transverse median line of said hanger, a suspension rod connected to said beam at the rear of said hanger, a `rock lever pivotally connecting the upper end of said suspension rod to the frame, and a link pivotally connecting the lower end of said suspension rod to said hanger above the pivot of said shovel beam.

1. A depth-equalizing shovel-beam attachment for cultivators, comprising a hanger pivoted at its forward side to the cultivator frame, said hanger being formed with a rearwardly projecting lug on its rear side, a shovel beam having an upturned forward end pivoted to the rearwardly eX- tending lug of said hanger, a suspension rod connected to said beam and spaced rearwardly from the upturned end thereof, a rock lever pivotally connecting the upper end of said suspension rod to the frame, and a link pivotally connecting the lower end of said suspension rod to the rear side of said hanger above said lug.

5. A depth-equalizing shovel-beam attachment for cultivators, comprising a hanger pivoted at its forward side to the cultivator frame, `a shovel beam formed with an upturned forward end having pivotal connections to the rear side of said hanger,

.a suspension rod -connected to said beam at the rear of said hanger and materially spaced from said upturned end, a rook lever pivotally connecting the upper end of said suspension rod to said frame, a link pivotally connecting the lower end of said suspension rod to said hanger, and spaced guides on the lower portion of said hanger slidingly embracing the upturned end of said beam.

6. A depth-equalizing shovel-beam attachment for cultivators, comprising laterally spaced hangers pivoted at their forward sides to the cultivator frame, spaced shovel beams having upturned forward ends pivotally connected to and at the rear of the transverse median line of said hangers, suspension rods connected to said beams at the rear of said hangers, rock levers pivotally connecting the upper ends of said suspension rods to the frame, and links pivotally connecting the lower end of said suspension rods to said hangers above the its upper end and in substantially the f pivots of said shovel beams. same horizontal plane as the top of the for- 7. An article of manufacture, comprising Ward arm, and braces between the arms of l) a shovelbeam connection of U-Sliape, the the U.

5 rear arm thereof being longer than the for- Signed by me at Bouton, Dallas county,

Ward arm and formed With a rearwardly iowa, this 10th day of July, 1916. projecting lug adjacent to but spaced from Y RAY L.V SPENCER.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for ve cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents,

Washington, D. C. y 

